LARKIN SWEEPS SLATE & SHELL OPEN: William Larkin 14k of Norfolk, VA, was the only player who won all four of his games among the nineteen hardy players who braved the ominous Winter Storm Warning for the Richmond, VA, area to show up for the first Slate & Shell Open tournament on January 22nd. Five players had three wins: Chuck Robbins 3d, Ethan Baldridge 1d, Paul Celmer 2k, John Greiner 8k, and Kurt Haldeman 20k. "The playing area at a local supermarket got high praise, the weather turned out not to be as bad as forecast, and everyone got free Slate & Shell books," reports organizer Bill Cobb. LIN TWINS TOP BOULDER KID'S TOURNEY: Jessica and Katherine Lin, two nine-year-old identical twins, placed first and second in the open section of the Ja nuary 16 Boulder (CO) Library Kids' Go Tournament. Third place was Antonia Lin (no relation). The first place winners of the other sections were: Jae-Hyun Choi for A, Yaphet Tewahade for B, Nicolas Ledru for C and Siyang Sun for D. The youngest player, Justin Pappas, who at only five years of age is able to challenge some of the older kids, won a special award. "It has now been almost a year since we started our go club for kids at the Boulder Public Library and I am pleased to report we are going strong," reports Paul Barchilon. "We had 19 participants ranging from 5 to 16 at our first-ever tournament." "The kids are fiercely competitive and are constantly asking us who they have to play to improve their rating. We registered all of them with the AGA this weekend and they can't wait to check their ratings online. Everybody has also been very excited because of the current tournament storyline in Hikar u no Go, which helped attendance. Tournament director Dave Weiss organized the kids into multiple sections, with four to each group. They played two rounds in the main tournament and received first, second and third place in each section. Three out of every four kids won a certificate and we conducted the whole tournament in under two hours, so no one got tired or bored. "Thanks to our grant from the AGA we were able to give out magnetic go boards to all of our regular members and we presented them right after the certificates. We told the kids that they had to teach at least one, and preferably more, other kids to play in exchange for the boards. The boards are from Korea and are both portable and cool-looking. The kids loved them and many of them started playing on them right away.

'04 CONGRESS REPORTEDLY LOST $15K: The E-Journal has learned that the 2004 Go Congress may have lost over $15,000 and that the Empty Sky Go Club is asking the American Go Association to cover the losses. "We lost $15,770.62," Congress organizer Greg Lefler of the Empty Sky Go Club recently reported. "It's completely and absolutely my fault", said Lefler. The record number of attendees at the event, held in Rochester, NY last August, was expected to generate healthy profits. AGA President Michael Lash reports that sustained efforts since August to accurately determine the financial results of the Rochester Congress have been unsuccessful thus far. "It's not at all clear who's owed what," Lash tells the E-Journal, "and until we get a full and proper accounting we won't know what the true situation is." If the rumored losses are truel, this would be the first Go Congress in recent memory to lose money. The annual Go Congresses have historically generated profits that are shared equally between the host Chapter and t he AGA, which holds the funds in reserve for the Chapter to use to promote go in their local communities. While the AGA is not legally responsible for losses incurred by the Empty Sky Chapter, Lash says "We will continue to offer assistance to sort out the details of what happened."

ON THE RISE: We're very pleased this week to reintroduce a new regular feature in which we highlight those players whose rating has significantly increased. While individual ratings tend to fluctuate somewhat over time (especially in the lower ranks), we feel confident predicting that the players who make this list are ones to watch. Our thanks to AGA Ratings Statistician Paul Matthews for his hard work and guidance. For this listing, we include those players (and their current rating) whose rating increased by 1.0 or more between the end of November and the end of December (readers should be aware that ratings are being recalculated all the time as new data arrive, so check http://www.usgo.org/ratings/ for the very latest ratings): Sillars, David -1.99; Lowrie, Matthew -2.53; Pak, Alex -3.75; Markowitz, Jonathan -4.60; Hobor, Aquinas -4.74; Urso, Chris -5.07; Peterson, Max -5.31; Yan, Jasmine -7.91; Kadakia, Tania -14.26; Boyer, Geoff -21.48; Laucharoen, Jedtsada -22.31; Wang, John -25.21& nbsp;

CARY, TACOMA LEAD OFF NEW LEAGUE: The new AGA Chapter Team League is off and running, with two teams enrolled so far -- the "Cary (NC) Go Club" and the "Tacoma (WA) Raiders." Go to http://www.usgo.org/usa/roster.asp to see the names and handles of these intrepid Internet pioneers. Enrollment is still open to teams from official AGA chapters-- see http://www.usgo.org/usa/teamleague.asp for details on how to register your team and challenge these teams for the top prize of $500 and many other prizes. The first six teams to finish twelve matches are guaranteed to win a "Fighting Spirit" prize.

YOUTH GO CAMP GOES EAST & WEST: "Go camp is not just for playing go," says Youth Go Camper Karoline. "In our free time we play all kinds of games: cards, soccer, board games, swimming, basketball; pretty much whatever we want. All 4 years I've gone to Go Camp, every experience has been one of the major highlights of my summer." If you're between the ages of 8 and 18, love go and the outdoors, check out the eighth annual Summer Go Camp, sponsored by the AGA and now with both East and West locations. "Improve your game by playing against others your age and learning from top-level players," says organizer David Dinhofer, who adds "The camp is headed by experienced camp organizers and parents, so you can feel sure that your children will have a wonderful and safe experience." For more information on the camp or to download camp forms, visit http://www.usgo.org/gocamp/index.asp or email eastagagocamp@usgo.org for the eastern location or westagagocamp@usgo.org for the western location.

SHODAN CHALLENGER BLOGS PROGRESS: "Today I played a game and managed to get myself back to 16th kyu!" writes Shodan Challenger Ka ren Plomp in her new online blog at http://shodan-challenge.blogspot.com/ "I am supposed to progress, darn it!" Adds Plomp, "Well, guess I'll study more life/death problems, and hope for the best. This is discouraging, but in a way it also motivates me even more to get better!" Plomp is one of 17 kyu-level players who are trying to achieve 1-dan by this year's U.S. Go Congress in Tacoma, WA in August. The E-Journal is following the progress of each Shodan Challenger and has arranged for professional game analysis to help the Shodan Challengers improve their games. See photos of some of the Challengers at http://www.usgo.org/photos/ Want to take the Shodan Challenge? Email us today at journal@usgo.org

COMING UP: In this Friday's Member's Edition, look for a new game commentary by Liping Huang 4P on an amateur dan game, PLUS Phil Straus r eviews CBS' new math-based series "Numb3rs"; non-members can sign up now at http://www.usgo.org/org/application.aspSPECIAL NOTE TO MEMBERS: If you did not receive last Friday's Member's Edition, please email us at journal@usgo.org and we'll re-send your copy. We apologize for any inconvenience.

THIS WEEK'S NEW CLASSIFIED HIGHLIGHTS: Looking for players in Milwaukee, WI; unique Chinese go board; check out these and more in Go Classified below!

YOUR MOVE: Readers Write FINDING CLUBS: "I am looking for a go club in the Los Angeles area," writes reader Sinetac H Brown. "I am a beginner and wish to improve my skills. Can you point me in the right direction?" There are several in the LA area; go to http://www.us go.org/usa/chapclub.asp for a complete current list of AGA chapters and other informal clubs and meeting places for go players in the United States. MORE KATO: "Go is a game that rests on the shoulders of those who have come before," writes Christopher Shelley in response to "Enough Kato?" (EJ 1/17/05). "Its rich history and the humility that history engenders are key elements to the game's mystique. My own observation is that the higher a player advances, the more humble he becomes. A player of Kato's magnitude cannot be dismissed in a week's worth of elegies. It shows class that the Journal chose to spend the extra time to properly honor one of the greatest go players of the last century, and possibly of all time." MORE MASTERS: "The Go Masters" was mentioned adjacent to "The Master of Go" (The Go Masters, 1/17/05), without any warning that these are two completely different works (movie and book)," writes Jeff Newmiller. "Providing references to both works would help avoid this confusion: THE MOVIE: "The Go Masters", directed by Junya Sato and Duan Ji-Shunhttp://senseis.xmp.net/?MikanNoTaikyokuhttp://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/go_masters/dvd.php THE BOOK: "The Master of Go" by Yasunari Kawabatahttp://senseis.xmp.net/?KawabatasMasterOfGohttp://tinyurl.com/5k23r (full url is http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0679761063/qid=1105986365/sr=8-1/ref=pd_csp_1/104-6458798-3061517?v=glance&s=books&n=507846)

REGISTRATION DEADLINE LOOMS FOR 1ST WORLD RAPID INTERNET CHAMPIONSHIP: Registration closes January 24 for the 1st World Rapid Championship by Internet on; register online at http://www.pandanet.co.jp/English/event/world_rapid/rapid.htm The total prize fund is $50,000, with a 1st-place prize of $25,000. The tournament, sponsored by the Japan Pair-Go Association and co-sponsored by IGS-PandaNet, begins this Saturday January 29 (Friday evening, US time zones). The first round of the preliminary tournament will feature amateur players only and while the number of games played in the 1st round will depend on the number of participants, organizers promise that at least two games will be played. The second round of the preliminary tournament features both the qualified amateurs from the 1st round and professional participants. The first two rounds will be played on IGS and the top eight players who come through the qualification tournament will be invited to Tokyo to participate in the main tournament to decide the 1st Open Internet World Rapid Champion. These games will be covered live on IGS and commentated by a professional.

IT'S YU BIN VS. CHO U FOR LG CUP FINALS: Although Yu Bin 9P of China had only defeated Lee Changho 9P of Korea once before in eleven games, he managed to beat him in the semifinals of the 9th LG Cup on January 24th, earning a spot in the finals against Cho U 9P, one of Japan's hottest pros at the moment, who defeated Cho Hanseung 8P of Korea. The LG Cup champion wins about $169,000 US. The Cup is sponsored by a group of Korean companies and involves players from Korea, China, Japan, Taiwan, North America, and Europe. The North American representative in the 9th Cup was MingJiu Jiang 7P, who defeated the European representative, Franz-Josef Dickhut 7d in the first round, losing to Lee Sedol 9P of Korea in the second round. You can download all the games at http://igo-kisen.hp.infoseek.co.jp/lg.html- reported by go4go.net

CHANG HAO TAKES NEC CUP: For the third time, Chang Hao 9P has won the NEC Cup in China. He defeated last year's winner Gu Li 7P by resignation in the final match on January 22nd, gaining a prize of about $24,000 US. You can download this and the other game records from the tournament at http://www.go4go.net/english/bytournament2.jsp?id=31- reported by gogameworld.com

CHINEN ADVANCES IN WOMEN'S KISEI: Chinen Kaori, who currently holds the Women's Honinbo title in Japan, has reached the finals of the Women's Kisei by defeating Miyazaki Shimako 4P by resignation on January 19th. Her opponent for the title will be either Kato Keido 4P or Izawa Akino 3P, who play on January 26th. The final match will be in early February. A pi cture and list of career highlights of Chinen can be found at http://www.gogameworld.com/gophp/playerinfo.php?id=166

PARK YEONGHUN TO CHALLENGE FOR KOREAN KISUNG: Park Yeonghun 9P defeated Kim Seungjun 8P 2-0 to win the right to challenge the title holder Choi Cheolhan in the 16th Kisung tournament in Korea. Choi took the title from Lee Changho 9P last year. Lee had held the title for eleven straight years; he was knocked out of this year's battle in the first round by Rui Naiwei 9P, who then lost to Song Taekon 7P, who was also defeated by Park Yeonghun. Pictures and career highlights of Park can be found at http://www.gogameworld.com/gophp/playerinfo.php?id=71

FOR SALE, Go Board, Bowls & Stones. Kaya wood board; Masame, Shihomasa cut, with Hand carved Kuriashi style legs. Stones: Hyuga Clam (Moon or Flower) & Nachi Guro Slate (There is a tinge of redness in the white stones). Bowls: Aged Mulberry wood hand-turned Masame straight grain cut. The board was originally purchased in Tokyo in 1971; there are a few dings & nicks on it but it is a beautifully-grained board. The bowls have a little bit of wear but again such a lovely grain on them. The stones are beautifully aged but sadly there are 15 missing of the white & 6 missing of the black. Asking $2,500 US; negotiable. clivetheartist@yahoo.com for details & pix

ADULT CAMP? I've always wondered why Go Camp is just for kids; are there other adults out there who would be interested in being kids again and organizing our own Go Camp for grown-ups? Let David Dinhofer know at ddinhofer@msn.com

INSTRUCTION, TEACHERS:

FREE LESSON: 5dan offering one free lesson on a server of your choice for potential students. Contact josh at icarii@zoominternet.net for more details. (1/10) - WANTED: 14-year-old with a ranking of 17k would like a teacher to play games with, and help my game improve to shodan level. E-mail me at TarenSolther@wmconnect.com - DIANA KOSZEGI, Hungarian 6 dan, is now offering lessons on KGS. For more information please visit diana.koszegi.hu - JOEY HUNG 8d is giving lessons on both IGS and KGS using voice chat skype. For detail, email egogames@yahoo.com Joey is also giving free lessons on KGS from 8-9P PST. (11/29) - CORNEL BURZO 6d EGF (7d AGA) is teaching online on IGS and KGS, also using skype voice chat, for pri cing check http://www.golessons.com or email cornelburzo@yahoo.com (12/6)

GO PLAYERS WANTED: AK: Juneau, Alaska ; stevekrall@yahoo.com (8/23) AL: Birmingham or Hoover: email goboard@bellsouth.net I'm about 5k; any level is welcome. (9/6) CA: Fresno/Visalia, meeting at Borders, 4kyu player, larrygates@sbcglobal.net CO: Grand Junction: Beginner looking for players; email bevans@hospicewco.com (12/6) FL: Ft. Myers: Looking for players in the area interested in starting a go club; email kent_no_go@earthlink.net (11/29) FL: Tampa Bay; Looking for players within 30 minutes of Tampa Bay to help create a club which might be located near USF. rruiz002@tampabay.rr.com (9/27) IL: Northern Illinois, Gurnee area. Any rank, age, or shoe size welcome. Looking for friendly or teaching games. Contact (15 kyu) Joe at nothing217@comcast.net (9/6) IN: Bloomington: W ant to help start an AGA chapter? Contact me now at sfcowling@bluemarble.net (11/08/04) KY: Louisville; I would like to start a go chapter in Louisville; I am a total beginner, but I would still like to play with some actual human beings. Interested folks should contact ed.hammerbeck@gmail.com MA: Looking for players to meet on the South Shore, possibly at Thomas Crane Library or Panera's Bread in Quincy. E-mail Adam@polymathsblade.com ME: Looking for players in the Southern Maine area; allenfr@waterboro.com MT: Anyone in Missoula playing go? A beginner friend of mine might like to meet up if you are willing to teach an eager, quick-learning absolute beginner. Email chriskubica@yahoo.com NC: Asheville: Looking for go players; contact Rodney Keaton ichliebedeinunderhosen@yahoo.com NH: Hanover, Meets 2-5 PM Wed at Hopkins Center Cafeteria; efeustel@direcway.com NV: Las Vegas; Looking for players a new, and I believe the f irst, area go club. Anyone interested should contact Aaron Thomas at avontron@gmail.com (11/29) NV: Reno: The Reno Go Club ( http://www.renogo.org ) is looking for people interested in go. Email: info@renogo.org NY: Syracuse; The Syracuse Go Club invites players who live anywhere near Utica, Geneva, Oswego, and Cortland to join them on Monday nights. Visit the club's website at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/syracusegoclub PA: Phoenixville; Looking for players to join a small bunch of go beginners each week in Phoenixville for Saturday afternoon Go. Contact Craig at twosheds@netreach.net PA: Philadelphia; the Penn Go Society meets Wednesday evenings 5:30P in Houston Hall on the University of Pennsylvania campus, 3417 Spruce Street. Players of all levels welcome. Email either Matthew Bengtson mattbengtson@earthlink.net or Pe ter Nassar pnassar@vet.upenn.edu for details (12/6) SC: Charleston/Lowcountry area. Total beginner looking for teaching and friendly games. Contact Doug: dougsimpson@email.com WA: Looking for players in Everett to establish regular go night, maybe at Library Coffee Shop or Bargreens. E-mail mike.mercer@attws.com NEW! WI: Milwaukee: Beginner (about 27k on KGS) looking for friendly and thoughtful in-person games around the Milwaukee area. It would be great to someday be able to start a local AGA chapter as well. Email: rhayes@wi.rr.com, or send message on KGS to "elefunt"

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Articles appearing in the E-Journal represent the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the American Go Association. To make name or address corrections, notify us at the email address below. Story suggestions, event announcements, Letters to the Editor and other material are welcome, subject to editing for clarity and space, and should be directed to: Editor: Chris Garlock journal@usgo.org